pseudonym Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 (edited) So my car was towed tonight on a regular tow truck. If I find out there wasn’t dollies used, what should I look for? Am I overthinking this or is there a real possibility of damage to this car if the rear wheels are the only things on the ground with my car in park no ebrake? Edit: I pulled in head first so they had to have towed on the front wheels. Edited July 16, 2021 by pseudonym Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubaboo Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 Ooof. From what limited reading I did, towing a Subaru on 2 wheels is a big no no. Hope it didnt toast your drivetrain. Why did you get towed on 2 wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudonym Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 It wasn’t my choice. Happened while I was at my hockey game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scubaboo Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 Sorry to hear that. Have you driven the car since it was towed? How does it run? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DugsSin Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 (edited) I would call the manufacturer SoA and get the information from them as well as how to proceeded. Knowing how far & how fast it was towed would be important me thinks. I'm betting you have major damage. I would be beyond pi$$ed. Edited July 16, 2021 by DugsSin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awfulwaffle Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 Yep, the center diff is likely damaged, as well as some parts in the tail housing. I bought a parts car a while back that was towed a few miles by the front wheels, supposedly at speeds not exceeding 30 mph. The car did seem to drive and shift OK before I parted it (for the mile or so I drove it), but when I pulled the trans apart the center differential was utterly cooked and there were several pieces cracked/destroyed in the tail housing. I can find some pictures if you're interested. EDIT: all of the above applies to a 5MT, but the components mentioned should be similar between the manual and auto transes. The center diff itself is different iirc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 contact the tow operator and the venue. you'd need a lawyer to get any traction , pun intended, unless you can prove you were legally parked. otherwise get your insurance to pay for it under comprehensive Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudonym Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 So there wouldn’t be any relief if the car were towed on the front wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxkita Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 So there wouldn’t be any relief if the car were towed on the front wheels? i'd get it checked out. Subaru says flat tow only. Has said that for 20+ years. Everyone tow operator knows that. So either you parked somewhere and pissed someone off or tow operator figured you wouldn't say anything. check for video and time of call to pickup. if you have never appreciated what a business with private parking goes through, this guy's channel tells a pretty good story - Note the tow truck type is the same for all vehicles. Build my car Boxkita Track days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastixx Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 From what I understand, the only way to tow (other than a flatbed) without doing any damage is with the rear wheels on the ground with the prop shaft disconnected. Also, only a MT can be flat towed, not an AT. So if it was towed on the front wheels, damage was definitely done. How bad the damage is I can't say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorbreath Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 I have heard of this happening, the tow truck operator does have an obligation to not damage your car, but I think you need to go through your insurance company and make a claim, the insurance company would then litigate. contact the tow operator and the venue. you'd need a lawyer to get any traction , pun intended, unless you can prove you were legally parked. otherwise get your insurance to pay for it under comprehensive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pseudonym Posted July 16, 2021 Author Share Posted July 16, 2021 So heres the thing...I went and picked up the car and they claim they used dollies for the tow. Drove the car to work and didn't hear or notice any difference with anything. I wanna have a look at some cameras and see if they did in fact use dollies before I do anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plastixx Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 flat tow means on a flatbed No, flat tow means all 4 wheels on the ground, like you would do with an RV pulling a vehicle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony saurus Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 Definitely call soa and find their diagnostic procedures for evaluation of damage from improper towing. As far as my area, I don’t think you will win a case but your insurance “may” cover damage as a result of improper towing and if anyone is likely to win that court case, it’s your insurance. P.S. Do some digging into your policy coverage and get some clarification before you start a claim so that your premiums don’t go up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aphex28 Posted July 16, 2021 Share Posted July 16, 2021 My brothers 2.5 RS was towed on 2 wheels similarly many years ago. He tried to go after the tow company with no good results, granted no lawyer and such, but they said it "didn't do any damage" well 2 years later his center diff blew. Keep in mind I had the same year 2.5RS and did more miles with more hard driving on it with autox and an engine swap with my trans being perfect. I mean it's anecdotal evidence, but really there is no easy way to prove either side aside from what the manufacturer says Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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